Synopsis
There is much to be done when the kingdom isn’t looking.
Iona Strider is a ruthless pickpocket cursed with a disobedient shadow. Violent, too. Worse, she can’t remember who cursed her, or why. But she does know one with each passing day, her control of the shadow dwindles.
In her relentless pursuit of answers, she winds up stealing from the wrong man: Captain Liam Blackwater of the Wraith. A man who, according to legend, might just turn the Silver Seas red.
Blood-bonded together by a dishonest mistake, Iona begrudgingly teams up with the handsome rogue to embark on a bloody, swashbuckling quest in the hopes that she can break the curse of her shadow once and for all.
Alas, it’s never that simple. Especially when Liam and Iona can’t keep their hands off each other.
But as they carve a path through the realm, disastrous secrets of the kingdom are revealed, and when shocking revelations of her true past come to light, Iona must decide whether she is to become the kingdom’s villain, or something else of her own making.
Review
Blackwater opens with a punch to the gut. Visceral, fast-paced, and immediately gripping. Iona Strider is a ruthless pickpocket with a disobedient shadow she can’t control and a past she can’t remember, and from page one, Blakeney makes you want to know why. It’s one of the strongest openings I’ve read in a while, and it sets the tone for a book that knows exactly what it wants to be: fantasy first, romance a very close second.
The banter between Iona and Captain Liam Blackwater is a genuine highlight. Sharp, fun, and usually a joy to read. It can lean a little heavy-handed at times, but the chemistry between them carries it. The side characters are also a treat, each one interesting and well-drawn enough to make the world feel populated by real people rather than set dressing. Where the character work loses me slightly is in the classic “we can’t be together for reasons” trope. The fear-driven hesitation, the assumption that once the quest is over they’ll part ways… it’s a well-worn device, and while I understand it’s part of the genre’s DNA, it can feel thin when the reader sees so clearly what the characters won’t admit to themselves.
The middle of the story settles into side-quest territory while the relationship builds, which slows the pace a bit. But Blakeney rewards your patience with a genuinely good reveal later on. Original, interesting, and the kind of twist that elevated the entire story for me.
The world itself is rich with magic, leaning more toward fairy tale and folklore logic than hard systems. There are internal rules, but they can feel a little arbitrary at times. That said, the magic is fun, and the worldbuilding is engaging enough that the open questions never bothered me. None of them get in the way of the plot, and they leave room for more stories in this world.
The prose is strong, full of clever lines that made me smile, and there’s a sultry undercurrent running through the descriptions and action (even the violent ones) that fits the tone perfectly. Blakeney handles that balance well, keeping it entertaining without letting it overtake the story.
Blackwater is a really fun read. It’s swashbuckling fantasy with genuine teeth, a romance that simmers nicely beneath the surface, and a world that sparkles with magic and mystery. If you’re looking for something sharp, sultry, and satisfying with a fantastic opening and a reveal that genuinely surprised me, this one’s well worth your time.
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